Youth gets 100 hours community work

Tonio Grixti, 23, of Valletta, was given a probation order and ordered to do community work after he pleaded guilty to ten charges including slightly injuring another man, damaging police property and relapsing.

Inspector Trevor Micallef charged Grixti with slightly injuring Robert Normal Cauchi, breaking the door of his cell, threatened police officers, being drunk in public, breaching public peace and good order, disobeying police orders and giving false details, and relapsing. The incident happened in the early hours of last Saturday, outside an establishment in Paceville.

The youth apologised to the officers for his behaviour and pledged there will be no repeat of the incident.

The court noted that in the past Grixti had already been fined and placed under probation for six months over charges of offending public morals and using obscene language. “Apparently you did not learn your lesson. What is worse is that you got drunk, hurt another person, disobeyed the police and vented your anger on private property”, the Magistrate told the accused.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja reprimanded Grixti for his action telling him that if he thought his arrest was unjust, he should have sought redress, not taken it out on the officers. The accused was placed under a three-year probation order. The court also ordered that Grixti is to perform 100 hours of community work without payment.

Inspector Trevor Micallef prosecuted.